TOP-FLIGHT SOLOISTS AND MUSICIANS TO JOIN CHESTER CHOIR FOR SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Top-flight soloists and musicians are set to join one of Chester's leading choirs for a special celebratory performance to wish a long serving conductor a happy retirement.

The concert, a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Mass in B Minor" will be staged at St John's Church in Vicar's Lane on Saturday 22nd March at 7.00pm. Chester Bach Singers will be joined by the 18^th Century Sinfonia period orchestra and soloists, including a soprano who performed at The King's Coronation. The performance will be the final Chester Bach Singers concert to be conducted by esteemed musical director Martin Bussey who is retiring from his post with the choir after more than 38 years. 

"Mass in B Minor" was completed by Bach in 1749, just 1 year before his death, and was, to a large extent, based on earlier work including a Sanctus which Bach had composed in 1724. Sections that were specifically composed to complete the Mass in the late 1740s include the "Et Incarnatus est" part of the Credo. As usual for its time, the composition is formatted as a Neapoliton Mass consisting of a succession of choral movements with a broad orchestral accompaniment, and sections in which a more limited group of instrumentalists accompanies one or more vocal soloists. 

The performance at St John's Church will feature soloists including sopranos Ruth Provost and Amy Wood, counter-tenor Joseph Judge and bass baritone Peter Edge.

A graduate of Christ’s College, Cambridge, Ruth Provost originally met Martin Bussey when he was her teacher at Chetham’s School of Music. Ruth now has a very busy professional life as both soloist, choral singer and teacher. She has enjoyed solo engagements performing Bach, Handel, Mozart and Monteverdi, amongst others, and has toured with The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars and BBC Singers.

Soprano Amy Wood's recent engagements have included Bach Cantatas with John Eliot Gardiner/Constellation Choir and Orchestra in Hamburg, Versailles and Vienna, Handel’s Solomon with Gabrieli in Valencia and Versailles, and the Coronation of His Majesty The King at Westminster Abbey in 2023. 

Multi-talented counter-tenor Joseph Judge has worked with Chester Bach Singers on many occasions, both as singer and also occasional guest rehearsal conductor. A graduate of the RNCM, he has a Masters with Distinction. He is now Chorus Master of the Leeds Philharmonic Choir, Director of the Halle Choral Academy and performs regularly as an oratorio soloist, in addition to a huge variety of musical engagements.

Baritone Peter Edge studied at the Royal College of Music and Royal Northern College of Music. Originally from Shropshire, Peter has been a principal artist with a number of opera companies including English Touring opera, Opera North, and made his debut with the Royal Opera in their 2024/5 season in Trouble in Tahiti/A Quiet Place and Aida.
He last performed with Chester Bach Singers in 2017 and subsequently organised 2 very successful performances of Messiah in Whitchurch, in which the choir were delighted to participate.

Tenor William Balkwill originally studied trumpet at RNCM, but switched to singing during his Masters degree at University of Manchester. He has recently performed oratorio in Messiah and Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with the Dunedin Consort and John Butt. He also enjoys performing recital repertoire in German and English.

Joining Chester Bach Singers and their guest soloists will be the 18th Century Sinfonia. The Sinfonia is a versatile ensemble of specialist period instrumentalists. They have accompanied the choir many times at previous concerts. The principal players also perform as the 18th Century Concert Orchestra, whose performances combine period instruments, readings, candlelight and sumptuous 18th century costume.

Speaking about the special concert, Helen Crich, the Chair of Chester Bach Singers said:

"We are delighted to be staging this very special performance of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" with our very special guest soloists and musicians. What better way to wish a very happy retirement to the wonderful Martin Bussey who has served as Choir MD for over 38 years. We're not saying farewell to Martin completely though as there are exciting plans in the pipeline involving the choir and one of Martin's new compositions of which, we hope there will be more news very soon. We hope as many people as possible will join us at St John's Church to give Martin the send-off he thoroughly deserves."

Full details of Chester Bach Singers performance of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" can be found at: 

www.chesterbachsingers.org.uk 

...where tickets (admission price includes complimentary refreshments) can be booked online.

Pictured - Conductor Martin Bussey who is retiring as Musical Director of Chester Bach Singers after more than 38 years.